I've been doing some research recently on western sacramentals, particularly the rosary and the scapular, including their history and use as well as the theological implications and teachings about them.

In so doing, I've started to wonder about the use of western sacramentals and devotions by the Western Orthodox. My search has been less than fruitful. While information is available on Orthodox use of the rosary, I've found less information about Orthodox use of novenas, scapulars and other traditionally western devotions. While many of these sacramentals and devotions in the Roman Catholic Church have non-Orthodox elements, so does the full Roman use of the rosary, and yet it has been used in an Orthodox manner amongst the Western Rite (and promulgated by church leaders and saints, including St. Seraphim of Sarov).

So, I was wondering if anyone knows (especially any of our WR Orthodox) of an Orthodox use of usually western sacramentals and devotions, such as novenas, scapulars, chaplets and medals? I appreciate your knowledge!

« Last Edit: May 26, 2011, 10:15:00 PM by Benjamin the Red »

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"Hades is not a place, no, but a state of the soul. It begins here on earth. Just so, paradise begins in the soul of a man here in the earthly life. Here we already have contact with the divine..." -St. John, Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco, Homily On the Sunday of Orthodoxy

I don't personally know anyone that utilizes these, although there are a handful of novenas in the St Ambrose Prayer Book, IIRC. Perhaps some of our Gregorian parishes use them, having more of a RC background as opposed to an Anglican one.

Could you explain this? Maybe I don't know what the full Roman use of the rosary is. As of yet I have been unable to find something unorthodox about the rosary.

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